[Bigdave359]

Yesterday my 2004 Dodge Intrepid with a 3.5 liter engine started getting hot. The warning bell went off, I looked at the temperature gauge and it was about 3/4 of the way up. I stopped and turned the car off within 10 seconds. I had new anti-freeze with me so I thought I’d top it off. I tried to slowly release the pressure but the radiator cap slipped and boiled over. It blew everywhere. I waited an hour for it to cool down then refilled it. I checked the oil and it was at the correct level and looked very clean. The car fired right up and drove perfectly. I drove 1.5 miles home and it started to get hot again just as I arrived. The next day I again checked the fluid level and drove 3 miles to the mechanic. It was starting to get hot by the time I got there. The car never once over heated. It started up and drove perfectly again. My mechanic said the water pump probably went out. He went to change it and the head gasket for me. When he took the intake off, it was covered in oil. I mean, he said it was dripping really bad when he took it off. I saw the line of oil on the floor where he had carried it to the back of his shop. He stopped work on it immediately, called me and said I needed a new engine. He said there was very little coolant in it. Which might make sense if the water pump wasn’t working. But I only drove it 4.5 miles total and it never over heated. He told me the oil must be coming from the piston area so my rings must be shot. Can anyone give me some info. I don’t know a lot about working on cars and I don't know if he's just trying to rip me off or what. He knows I don’t know a lot about cars and I’ve always trusted what he’s told me. Like I said, it ran perfectly taking it to his shop. The original motor blew up in 2008 due to the oil pump going out. So I replaced it with this engine. I used the same mechanic to put the new engine in. It had 20,000 miles on it when it went in. It now has less than 80,000 total miles on it. Please help, I LOVE my car and don't want to lose her. I sure hope I've given enough information for a possible diagnosis. Thank you very much. Big Dave

[Ronbo]

Oil in the intake is common in our cars. Even more so if the PCV valve or hoses going to/from it is having problems.

For Overheating...water pump or thermostat. I'd say the water pump myself.

[Bigdave359]

So do I need a new engine? Like I said, it ran perfectly on the way to his shop. Do you think he's trying to rip me off?

[beeblebrox82]

engine is fine. change the T-stat and water pump (make sure he does the timing belt and tensioner too while he's in there) I wouldn't do a head gasket yet.

[Bigdave359]

Oh my gosh, Thank you. I've been worried sick. I can't afford another car and didn't know what I was going to do.

[2ToneR/T]

you'll definitely know if the motors shot....when my 3.5 HO went it sounded like a metal coffee can was 1/2 full of nuts and bolts and u put it in a paint shaker machine at home depot on HIGH setting! lol

[Bigdave359]

That's what happened to me when the oil pump went out. I knew the engine blew then. This time it was running perfectly. That's why I was very confused when he said I need another engine. I think either he's trying to rip me off or maybe he just doesn't know what he's doing.

[98IntrepidTan]

It wouldn't hurt to check the compression, just to rule out any damage from overheating. As you've been told, oil in the intake is very common.

I'd want to know what caused the over-heating. Say, even though the replacement engine has low mileage, have you even had the timing belt (and water pump) changed? If not, it's definitely time because there's a mileage limit and a time limit for the timing belt.

[2ToneR/T]

in both of my 3.5ho motors I had a problem with overheating at different times...changed water pumps, thermostats, etc....what I found to be damaged on BOTH engines was the upper/lower intake manifold gaskets....the original engine had about 93000 miles on it when the overheat happened on it....blew out the upper AND lower intake manifold gaskets, warped a head which had to be milled back into tolerance and then it was fine...at 116000 miles the motor shotgunned.....my new engine had 46000 miles on it at installation...had EVERYTHING changeable changed out of the car....after a wreck a few months ago it heated up on me, once again, the LOWER intake manifold gasket had failed....no apparent reason....it wasn't run without coolant or anything like that.....no real reason the gasket went bad....but since u r having an overheating problem, have your motor pressure tested and if the manifold gaskets r bad, they'll find it immediately.....cost me $170 to have mine fixed here in Indiana....

[Bigdave359]

The water pump is definitely out. He showed me the broken fins (or whatever they're called) on it. I don't think the timing belt has been changed though. I'll have that done as well. I do have another question. When I took the car in, he put a big turkey baster looking thing on my radiator fill hole. It had blue water in it. He said if the blue water turned green then it meant my head gasket was blown. Well, the water turned green. Does that really mean I need a new head gasket or could it be something else?

[Bigdave359]

Thank goodness I didn't already sell it to the junkyard. The guy there was going to give me $500 for it. I almost did it too. What a dumba$$ I am.

[Bigdave359]

It was the water pump for sure.

[Adpros]

If the temp has not been at the top of the gauge, I'd be suspicious about the head gaskets right now. Go ahead and do the water pump and belt and even the tensioner pulley as well. Then see how it does. If the current mechanic protests, tow it elsewhere to a shop that will try to save your motor instead of buying the car out from under you for peanuts.

Also, Welcome to the forum!

[Bigdave359]

Thank you for the welcome Adpros. I'm definitely going to have it towed elsewhere. The temp never did hit the top mark. It only made it about 3/4 of the way up. As soon as the bell went off I pulled into a parking spot and turned it off. It never over heated. When I got to the mechanic the next day he put a turkey baster looking thing on my radiator fill hole. It had blue water in it. He said if the water turned green it meant my head gasket was blown. Do you have any idea what he was doing and if he was right about the head gasket?

[cdmccul]

Welcome Dave!